Life-saving device.



A. G11/VENDA L L. MARKO.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULYle, 1910.

987,354. Patented Manu, 1911.

' mvENToRS ANTON eAweNpA Louis MAnKo' itsl unirunraans PATENT oFrIon.l

Auron emv/ Enna Ann LouIs Manno, or BnnwIcK,.rENNsYLvANIA.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be 'it known that we, ANTON GAWENDA and LOUIS MARK, subjects of the Emperor* of Austria-Hungary, residing at Berwick, in

the 'county of Columbia and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification, reterence being had .therein to the accompany lng drawing.

This invention'relates to a life saving dejvice, and the objects of the invention are to provide a buoy for supporting one or more persons when required to leave a vessel on y:account of a wreck, running aground or any other accident that necessitates the immediate departure of the occupants of the ves- Sel, and to provide a buoy that will protecttlie occupants thereof)l from rough water, wreckage and the forces of nature.

Further objects of theinvention are to providea life saving buoy that can be l easily carried by a vessel and placed in the 'Water, the buoy being constructed whereby .air 'will be admit-ted to the same and where byfood and other matter can be carried for.'

the occupants of the buoy..

These and such other objects as may hercinaft-er appear are attained'by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described-and then claimed.

. Reference will now-be had to the drawing forming a part of this specification, wheremz- Figure 1 is a Side elevation of the lite saving buoy, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewv of the same, Fig. 8 'is a horizontal sectional view of4 the buoy, Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of an air reservoir forming part lof the lbuoy, and Fig. 5

v is 'an enlarged detail sectional view of a lid ,or cover for the buoy.

A buoy lin accordance with ourl invention comprises a plurality of rings orcircular frames 1, these rings being of various diaimeters and having the outer edges thereof Aconnected to a shell 2, the rings or frames 1 being arranged with' the rings of the largest diameter centrally of the shell 2 and the otherfrin 'sgradually decreasing lin diameter, towar the ends of the shell, thereby providing an egg-shaped or oval structure adapted to provide .a compartment for persons-and the storage of food and other mat- Specieation of Letters Patent.4

Application filed July 16, 1910. Serial No.. 572,331.

i ter.

-ing the occupants of the buoy to Patented .Ma-r. 2.1 1911.

The rings or circular frames 1 are made of light and durable wood or metal and the shell 2 is preferably made of durable fabric,'as canvas and then painted or coated with a waterproof material to render.

the shell impervious. The fabric after-.coating is sufticiently heavy so that the shell will not collapse under ordinary conditions.

In the bottom of the shell 2 is a circular plate orplatform 3 and the upper end of the shell is open, as at 4 and provided with an annular interior rim 5 having an annular seat 6 for the depending annular rib'7 of a rubber gasket 8- mounted upon the rim 5. Hinged tothe open end of the shell 2, as yat 9. is a'lid or door 10 heldin closed positihorlbysuitable catches arranged within the s e Arranged centrally of the lid or door 10 is a vert-ical air tube 11 alining longitudinally with the major axis of the shell 2, said tube having the upper end thereof provided with a spherical air reservoir 12, and the lower end thereof flared, as at 18 to disseminate the air from the reservoir 12 within the shell 2. The top of the reservoir 12 is provided with a tubular stern 14 supporting a hollow dome-shaped head 15, said head having the under side thereof provided with openings 16 to admitair thereto and from there to the reservoir 12 and from the lattervthe air is deducted. through the tube 11 into the shell 2. The shape of the head 15 prevents water and other matter from entering the air inlet openings 16.

Surrounding the shell 2 above the centralmost ring or frame thereof is a belt 17 retained in place by rings 18, This belt is preferably made of a. waterproof tube lled with air, or pieces of cork, and the belt is adapted to normally retain the buoy in a vertical position and assist in supporting the same in the water. The upper walls of the shell 2 are providedwith windows 19 and suitable means can be arranged within the shell for retaining the lid or coverthereo-f in a closed position.

Asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawing an audible or visible signal can be .arranged upon the head 15, as a bell20 and the c lapper 21 thereof connected to a string or cable 22 extending through the head 15, the reservoir 12, the tube 11 into the shell 2, thus allowsound an alarm.

' a hollow dome-shaped head in communication with the top of said reservoir for supplying air thereto and having the lower Wall thereof provided with openings for the ad VmiSsionof air, and a buoyant belt surrounding .said body directly above the center y thereof.

2. A life saving buoy comprising al holloW egg-shaped body provided with an open upper end and a platform therein at the bottom thereof, a lid or cover for closing the open end of said body, a vertical tube extending through said lid and opening into said body, an air reservoir carried' by and .communicating with the upper end of. said tubeand spaced from the top of Said body, a hollow domeshaped head in communication with the top of said4 reservoir` for supplying air thereto and'having,- the lower Wall thereof provided With openings` for the admission of air, a buoyant belt Surroundingl said body directly above the center. thereof,

an alarm supported by said dome-shaped head, and means connected with the alarm and extending through the head, reservoir and tube and into said body for operating the alarm from within the body.

A lifesaving device comprisingabodyportion 'substantially egg-Shaped in contour and including a plurality. of annular members connected together by an impervious fabrie, said members gradually decreasing in diameter from the center of said body toward each end, said body having an open top, a lid hinged to said body .for closing the top thereof, a-tube extending through said lid and into saidbody, an air reservoir mounted upon and communicating with the upper end of the tube and spaced from the top of the body, a hollow head in communication withl Said reservoir and having the under side thereof provided With air inlet openings, a platform arranged in the bottom of said body, and a buoyant'belt arranged. eireumferentially of said shell intermediate the ends thereof.

ln testimony whereof We airix our signatures inthe presence of two'witnesses.

vAuron GAWENDA.

LOUIS MARK Witnesses MINNIE WARRIGK, D. E. BOGARD. 

